BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — At a work session Tuesday night, the Bristol, Tennessee city council heard from Clay Walker, CEO of Networks Sullivan Partnership, regarding an application for a PILOT, or payment in lieu of taxes.
“The Industrial Development Board will own the property on paper only the companies still that are under these programs still maintain rights and responsibilities of ownership,” said Walker.
For the last year, Networks Sullivan Partnership has working alongside an unnamed company on ‘Project Scotland.’
“We worked with them for a while last year, but the company wasn’t ready to make the deal on the property and commit to that under the conditions of our rules to buy the property,” Walker said.
‘Project Scotland’ aims to bring jobs to the Tri-Cities.
“It’s 321 advanced manufacturing jobs and there’s going to be lots of opportunities,” said Walker. “A lot will do with how many people want to make the move to do that, but they pay well above the average wage for these types of jobs.”
Walked said all the work needed to begin the project is up to the local level.
“I believe everything done at the state level is pretty much signed, sealed, delivered,” Walker said. “And we just have to get all the local incentives and the local sale of the property.”
While the board still needs to make an official decision, Walker said he feels confident in how the council will respond.
“I think tonight’s preliminary approval is pretty much an approval. So I don’t think we have to contend with that,” Walker said.
